Chord Colors

D Dorian b5 scale

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About the D Dorian b5 scale

D Dorian b5 is used for jazz solos and moody, unsettled passages. It's a dorian minor with a flat fifth, dark and off balance.

Positions

Playable shapes for this scale up the neck. Tap any note to hear it.

CAGED

Five shapes, each anchored to a chord form you already know, the pop and rock default that ties your scales to your chords. The outlined notes are that chord, so you can see the C, A, G, E, and D shapes inside the scale.

D shapeopen
C shapefr 2
A shapefr 4
G shapefr 7
E shapefr 9
3NPS

3NPS stands for 3 notes per string. It lays the scale out in seven even shapes for rock and metal lead, and favors speed because the picking pattern stays consistent across every string.

Shape 2fr 1
Shape 3fr 3
Shape 4fr 4
Shape 5fr 6
Shape 6fr 8
Shape 7fr 10
7-position system

7 four-fret boxes, one per scale degree, each a single hand position with almost no shifting. The jazz and classical way, from William Leavitt's Berklee method.

Position 1open
Position 2fr 1
Position 3fr 3
Position 4fr 4
Position 5fr 7
Position 6fr 8
Position 7fr 10

Chords in the key of D Dorian b5

Expand a chord to see how to play it.

D diminished
3fr 5fr 8fr

(1st inversion)

ii E minor
2fr 7fr 9fr

(1st inversion)

iii F minor
3fr 8fr 10fr

(1st inversion)

IV G
3fr 5fr 7fr

(1st inversion)

V+ A flat augmented
4fr 5fr 9fr

(1st inversion)

vi° B diminished
5fr 9fr

(1st inversion)

VII C
3fr 5fr 8fr

(1st inversion)

Seventh chords in D Dorian b5

The four-note version of each chord, richer and jazzier.

D minor seven flat five
3fr 5fr 8fr

ii E minor seven
7fr 8fr

iii F minor major seven
3fr 8fr 12fr

IV G seven
3fr 5fr 10fr

V+ A flat major seven sharp five
3fr 8fr 11fr

vi° B diminished seven
6fr 7fr

VII C major seven
3fr 5fr 10fr

Progressions in D Dorian b5

Tap any chord to hear it, or play the whole progression.

II7 IV
iii IV ii iii

Notes and intervals

1 D Root
2 E Major 2nd
3 F Minor 3rd
4 G Perfect 4th
5 A flat Diminished 5th
6 B Major 6th
7 C Minor 7th

Shapes

Chromatic

C C♯ D♭ D D♯ E♭ E F F♯ G♭ G G♯ A♭ A A♯ B♭ B

Circle of Fifths

C G D A E B F♯ G♭ C♯ D♭ G♯ A♭ D♯ E♭ A♯ B♭ F

Related scales

Dorian b5 in other keys

Modes

The same notes, starting on a different note.

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